Firestorm
by MoonyAngel7
Summary: Sequel to 'Sober' - It isn't easy dealing with someone who is trying to ruin your life. Nick and Elise know it well and their lives become a fight to save themselves and their marriage. Nick/OC - Rating M for sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: And We're back!

Disclaimer: I don't own the lyrics to 'Firestorm' (Conchita Wurst).

FIRESTORM

Chapter 1

 _My heart is a firestorm and all that I needed was your flame._

Here I was awake. I felt like I was always awake. Sleep was hard to come by for a couple reasons, but one reason was the best of them all. I sat in the little blue painted bedroom in the dark rocking a small baby boy in my arms. He was cuddled against me. I smiled as I looked down at him. He was so peaceful with no cares in the world except where his milk was coming from. I slowly stood from the rocking chair and walked over to the small crib. I placed my baby boy, my perfect, James Warrick Stokes in his crib. I left the room as quietly as possible and walked down the hall to my own bedroom. I slipped into the bed next to my husband.

"He asleep?" Nick's voice came as I cuddled up close to him.

"Finally." I said with a yawn. I starred up at the ceiling. As sleepy as I was I was afraid to fall asleep.

"You need to sleep." Nick said as he rubbed his hand on my arm.

"I know, but the nightmares." I said still looking up at the ceiling.

A year and come and gone since that night in the cabin. Mark's body was never found not even when the snow melted. He was out there and I just knew it. I had been gripped with nightmares ever since. I hated falling asleep. Luckily these days I had my little man to keep me occupied at night. He was the one good thing that came out of our ruined honeymoon. Not long after getting out of the hospital and returning to San Diego we discovered I was pregnant. In a time where I was gripped with fear it was nice to have a little light.

I hadn't realized it, but I had fallen asleep. A good peaceful sleep; until suddenly I was fighting. I had no idea what I was fighting, but I had to fight it. My breathing was rapid as I fought as hard as I could. My arms couldn't move. I was stuck in one spot. I had to fight to release myself. My eyes shot open and I was looking right into Nick's eyes. He was straddling me and pinning my arms down.

"Elise." He said firmly. "It's a nightmare. Please calm down." He slowly let his grip on my wrists loose. I looked up at him. I could see the pain in his eyes. He hated these nightmares that I had been having, but I couldn't help it. I looked at the clock. It was 5am.

"I'm sorry." I said with tears coming from my eyes. He took his finger and wiped my tears away.

"Don't be. It's ok. Just try to not beat me up so much." He said giving me a smirk. I had already given him a black eye one night during a really bad episode. We tried to keep things light when it came to them, but he knew that I was going through a lot mentally.

I sat up and got out of the bed. I walked down the hall to check on James as I did many times a night. I didn't want to think of what Mark could do to my son. I was in fear of all of our lives and it hurt me. I passed by a mirror in the hall. I looked at myself in my nightgown. I could see one of the scars on my arm that I was left with from that night. I hated that I had to be reminded of it every time I saw myself in the mirror. I walked downstairs and made my way into the living room. We moved into this house when I was five months pregnant. We knew that we would need a bigger place to raise our son and hopefully another one someday in the future.

Walking through the living room I walked into a little room off to the side that we used as an office. I sat at my computer and turned it on. I needed to distract myself. Once my computer was up I opened my email. I had gotten plenty since the last time I checked. Returning home I wanted to keep myself busy. I decided I would try and put this fashion degree to work. I started up a fashion blog where I wrote about the latest fashions. Truthfully I really loved fashion and I loved to write so it all went together. I started to gain revenue from my blog and soon it became a column in a top rated fashion magazine. I was feeling good about myself and about what I was doing. It kept my mind working when I found myself engrossed with fear.

I sat writing and answering emails until I heard little cries coming from upstairs. I left my computer behind and went upstairs. As soon as I got upstairs the cries stopped. When I made it to the room I found Nick holding James in his arms rocking him. I smiled at him. He was an amazing dad. I walked to the two of them. I laid my head on Nick's shoulder. He kissed the top of my head.

"Got a lot of work done?" Nick asked as he continued to rock James.

"I did actually." I said.

"I'm going to get ready for work." He said as he handed James to me. James let out a little whine. I continued to rock him.

"Remember I have a meeting this evening. Be home on time." I said as I watched him to walk to leave the room.

"Promise." He said giving me a smile.

My favorite part of my writing gig was working from home. I got to spend my entire day with James. I absolutely loved being a mom as much as I loved being a wife. Our life as a family was amazing, but living everyday afraid of what could happen put a dark cloud over our lives everyday.

I checked myself out in the mirror. I was all dressed for my dinner meeting. I had lost all of my baby weight plus some. I looked down at my little boy who sat in his swing looking up at me. He had a smile on his face. I bent down and gave him a kiss on the head. He cooed up at me. I started to hum him a song. He looked at me and continued to smile. Suddenly he let out a giggle and continued to smile. I turned around to see Nick standing in the doorway.

"Hey." I said happily as I stood and walked over to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me in by the waist.

"Good day with James?" he questioned.

"Mmmhmm. Great day. I missed you." I said before he kissed me full on the lips.

"I should get going." I said when we broke apart and I looked at the clock.

"Is everything set for James?" Nick asked.

"Yep he already had his bath and is in his pajamas. There are a few bottles in the fridge just waiting." I said as I turned to my baby boy. I bent down and gave him a kiss on his head. "Night Night sweetie. Mommy will be home later."

"Love you. Have a great meeting." Nick said. I walked to him and give him another kiss before leaving the room.

When I parked my car near the restaurant. I reached in my purse. Ever since our honeymoon I kept a gun in my purse at all times. I was so afraid of running into Mark anywhere. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I quickly walked to the restaurant. Once inside I instantly spotted the ladies I was having lunch with. My column had become quite successful and I was always being asked to write special assignments. I walked over to the table and all of the women greeted me. I sat down in the empty chair.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was heavy." I said as I took a sip of water.

"No problem." One of the women said. She was a blonde and simply went by the name GG.

"So Elise your column has been the highlight the last few months and we have been thinking of sending you on assignments for our online magazine. Things like red carpets and even fashion week." one of the other women said. She was my boss and the creative director of the magazine; her name was Yvette.

"Wow that sounds awesome, but would mean I would have to be out of town sometimes." I said not feeling to certain about this assignment.

"Yes sometimes." Yvette then said.

"I will have to discuss that with my husband. I have a 4 month old at home." I said.

"Discuss away. We want some things to go in the online magazine and for that you will be working closely with Bridgette here." Yvette said as she motioned to the last women at the table. She was a lot younger than me. Maybe 21 or 22; she even wore her hair in pigtails with oversized glasses.

"Hi I am so excited to work with you." Bridgette said in a high squeaky voice.

"You too." I said kindly.

"If you accept we would love to send you to fashion week in Paris next month." Yvette then said. My eyes widened. They really expected me to leave my husband and son to go to Paris for a week. I was feeling uneasy. I didn't like to spend too much time away from Nick in the first place and then to have to leave my son would break my heart. I knew he would be in the best hands with Nick, but to be away from him for so long and then for me to be so far away and not have the security of Nick being near frightened me.

"Yes I will definitely have to talk it over with my husband." I said.

The rest of the meeting went great. I was happy with other things they wanted me to help with when it came to the online magazine. I really loved my job and everything that came with it, but this traveling really had me on edge. I pulled up to my house. Everything on the outside looked how it was supposed to look. I walked inside to find Nick on the couch watching TV. He gave me a smile as I came in. I sat my purse down and walked over to him. I sat in his lap and let him wrap his arms around me. He kissed my neck gently.

"How was your meeting?" he asked.

"Good they made me some offers. I am a little scared and wanted to discuss one of them with you. They want to send me on assignments and many of them would have me going to LA or New York often and they want to send me to Fashion Week in Paris next month." I explained.

"That is amazing babe. Congrats!" he said happily. He was my biggest fan and I was his. We made the best team. I loved the way he supported everything I wanted to do. "So why are you scared?" he asked.

"Leaving you and James. He is so young and I know he is good hands with you and my dad and Alice are always around to help, but I don't like the idea of leaving. Plus not knowing if Mark is out there." I said shaking my head.

"Let's say Mark was dead or none of this with Mark ever happened. Would you be turning down an assignment in Paris?" Nick asked.

"No." I answered truthfully.

"Then don't let that hold you back. Like you said James is in good hands with me plus I have your dad and Alice as support. I want you to be able to live to the fullest. Don't let Mark hold you back." He said. I smiled. He was perfectly right. I didn't need to let Mark hold me back from living my amazing life.

"I knew talking to you would help." I said as I snuggled more into his arms. He ran his hand along my arm. I yawned and I could feel my eyelids getting heavy. I slowly closed my eyes. I had drifted away into a comfortable sleep until I saw a knife and then I saw that grin, a grin I will never forget. I let out a scream as the knife started to come down at me. I then jumped. I opened my eyes and I was sweating. I was in bed and wearing my nightgown. Nick must have brought me up and redressed me. I felt his arm tighten around me.

"Baby are you ok?" he asked. I simply nodded. I placed my head on his chest. I starred at the wall as he ran his hand along my arm. I knew if I wanted my freedom I was going to have to take my freedom. I couldn't allow myself to be paralyzed anymore.

A/N: YAY first chapter. I am super excited for this story. I know I need to work in the Nick and Tiffany sequel, but I love Nick and Elise.


	2. Chapter 2

FIRESTORM

Chapter 2

I placed my last shirt in my suitcase. I was leaving in the morning. I was so nervous about leaving. I had never left James for longer than a night. I felt like I was abandoning my son. Then there was all the fear I had with leaving alone. Mark had found me so many times. He could find me in Paris. I was so afraid, but I was forcing myself to live. I looked at the contents of my suitcase. It seemed that everything was there. I closed it and zipped it shut. Just as I finished I heard footsteps entering the bedroom. I looked to see Nick coming in the door. He was loosening his tie as he walked to me and kissed me on the cheek. He then lied on the bed.

"Someone is tired." I mentioned as I placed my suitcase on the floor. I then walked over to him. I got onto the bed on my knees straddling Nick. He looked up at me and smile.

"Such a long ass day." He as he continued to look up at me. He placed his hands on my waist.

"I'm going to miss you." I said as I bent down and kissed him. I sat back up and started to unbutton his shirt.

"Not tonight babe." He groaned as he looked up at me.

"But I'm going to be gone for a whole week." I whined as I continued to unbutton his shirt. I came to the last button and opened it. I looked down at his bare chest. I ran my hand across all the scars. The newest ones made me incredibly sad. I could count the four scars that were left by the four bullets Mark put into him. I hated seeing them just as I hated the scars on myself. They would forever remind me of that night. He then ran his hands up my shirt. I smiled down at him. He pulled my shirt off and quickly unhooked my bra. I sat up and started on his belt when suddenly cries erupted from the other room. I sighed and pulled myself off of him. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head before heading to our son's room.

We stood at the entrance to the security line. It was time for me to go. I didn't want to leave. I looked down in the stroller to see my little James. He was smiling up at me. I bent down to be at his level. He cooed away. I looked at him and smiled. He had curly dark brown hair, but other than that he looked exactly like his dad. You would never believe that he grew inside me and came out of my vagina. He looked exactly like Nick.

"I'm going to miss you." I said as I ran a finger down his little face. I then stood up and looked at Nick. He gave me a reassuring smile. "So everything is ready for him. You know there is a ton of milk in the freezer and his Love-Love was washed, but there is a second one…"

"In his top dresser drawer." Nick said as he finished my sentence. "I can take care of our son for a week. I will survive." He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. This would be the longest we have ever been apart from one another since we started dating besides the month after my assault. I was so afraid, but I tried to hide it on my face.

"I guess I will see you in a week." I said looking up at him.

"Everything will be ok. Stop worrying. I love you." He said as he rubbed my back. He kissed me again.

"I love you too." I said. I hadn't even left and I already couldn't wait to be back home with my little family.

"Now go and make me proud." He said as he smacked my butt. I laughed out loud. I could see people watching up. He grinned at me. I bent down and gave my little baby another kiss on his head because I grabbed my carry on bag. Nick gave me a wave as I made my way into the security line.

My flight was amazing. The magazine had booked my First Class. I retrieved my bag and made it into the Arrivals Hall. I had been told a driver would be waiting for me. This was my first time in Paris. I had been to London as a teenager one summer with my mom when she had an art thing she was attending. I thought while I was here I would actually go see the Mona Lisa since it was my mother's muse in naming me. I looked around and then I finally saw a man in a black suit holding up a sign that read: MRS. ELISE STOKES.

I walked over to him and gave a smile. "I'm Mrs. Elise Stokes." I said happily. We had been married over a year at this point, but just being his wife excited me and now I was the mother of his child.

"Bonjour Mrs. Stokes. I am Julian your assigned driver for the week. Here is my card with my number. I am available to you 24/7." Julian said as he handed me his card. "May I take your bags?" I handed him both of my bags and followed him out to a black town car. He opened the doors for me and allowed me to get inside before he loaded my bags in the trunk. I looked at my cell phone to check the time. It was 7am meaning it was 10pm back home. I quickly dialed Nick's cell.

"Stokes." He answered.

"It's me." I said. I smiled at hearing his voice.

"Hey you made it. How was your flight?" he asked.

"It was amazing. I am in the car now. Heading to the hotel. How did James do?" I asked wondering about my baby boy.

"He has been fine. He went down for bed at 6:45 like always after his bottle. I'm just lying in bed. It's to empty without you." He said. I closed my eyes for a second. I missed him so much already.

"Just think of it this way. You will get more sleep without me there waking up screaming." I said trying to make light of the situation.

"Do you think you will be ok alone in the hotel?" he asked.

"I think so." I said. I hadn't even thought about the nightmares. I needed to stop living in fear and hopefully the nightmares would stop.

"I think being away will help." He said supportively.

"I better let you get to bed. I love you." I said.

"I love you too and will talk to you tomorrow." He said. I didn't want to hang up. I loved hearing his voice. We ended the call. I sat in the car feeling contented and desolate at the same time. I was so excited to be able to have such an amazing career that I created for myself that has gotten me to Paris, but at the same time I wanted to be with my family. My husband and my son were my entire world and being away from them broke my heart with each passing second.

I totally understood the allure of Paris now that I was here. I watched the sights as we passed by. My hotel wasn't far from the Eiffel Tower and when we passed by for the first time it hit me that I was really here. I was excited to get working starting with a noon appointment at the magazine's Paris office. I checked myself in the mirror to make sure that everything about me was just right. I had hit the ground running as soon as I got here. I went downstairs and out to the car where Julian was waiting for me. He dropped me at this gorgeous building that I couldn't believe housed an office. I walked inside and there was an elevator. I took it to the floor for the magazine. As soon as I stepped off there was a receptionist.

"Bonjour." She greeted me with a kind smile.

"Bonjour. I have a meeting with Yvette and Charlene." I said politely.

"Ah yes Mrs. Stokes. I will take you back." She said as she stood from her desk. I followed her down a hall to a door. She opened the door and inside was a conference room where I saw Yvette right away.

"Elise darling. Welcome to the Paris office of Gorge Magazine." Yvette said happily as she walked my way. She kissed me on both cheeks. "Take a seat."

I sat down in a chair. The conference room had large windows and looked out over the Seine. It was very glamorous and what you would expect of a fashion magazine in Paris.

"Hello Yvette." I said happily.

"I am so happy you took this assignment. You arrived this morning?" Yvette asked.

"Yes just before 7." I said. I took a nap as soon as I arrived at the hotel, but I was starting to feel the jetlag settle in.

"First time in Paris?" she questioned.

"Yes first time." I answered. I thought about how much I would like Nick to be here with me. I got why it was one of the romantic cities on heart; everything about this place screamed romance.

"You are sure to have a fantastic week." she said cheerfully.

Suddenly the door opened. A woman with a black bob cut entered the room. She was followed in my two male assistants who both looked deadly afraid. I knew this must be the famous Charlene LeFluf.

"Bonjour. Bonjour." Charlene said as she took a seat at the head of the table. "Yvette always a pleasure and this must be Elise." She said as she studied me. I tried to not shift too much in my seat.

"Yes….ummm…Bonjour Madame LeFluf." I said as politely as possible.

"This is the week. The week of all weeks when it comes to fashion. I want you at every show possible. I need substance and feel for our Fashion Week issue." Charlene said.

"Yes Madame." I said trying to sit up straight. This woman really got straight to business.

After the meeting I went back to my hotel. I strolled the streets and found a café to have lunch. As happy as I was to be here I was lonely. Tonight was the first of the shows I would be attending. The only thing I could think of was my husband and my son. I finished my lunch and went back to my hotel for a nap. My career was riding on how I did here and I didn't want to fuck this opportunity up.

The show was amazing. Everything about it screamed at me and I was in love. I remembered how it felt when I was working for a fashion designer and I worked New York Fashion week. It was the highlight of my short time in that field. I wasn't made for that part of the job. Things were very cut throat and I wasn't the type of person to go around and stab others in the back. I left my job and returned home to my dad who got me my dispatch job. Now with writing I could work alone for the most part and I didn't have to stab anyone, but a piece of paper with my pen. I was lucky to be in the front row for the show sitting right there with Yvette and Charlene. When the show as over there was to be a cocktail hour. I strolled around with my martini looking at all the beautiful people and taking it all in.

"Elise Davis!" someone called. I turned around to see a face I knew right away. It was a friend who I worked at the designer with. She looked exactly the same skinny with short blonde hair. She came my way and grabbed me into a hug.

"Nancy!" I said happily. "Actually it is Elise Stokes now." I said as I showed off my wedding ring.

"What?! Ms. I am never getting married is married." She said looking taken aback. Then she paused. "You said Elise Stokes… so you are that fantastic writer who has been writing that amazing column for Gorge Magazine?"

"That's me." I said.

"With the married name I would have never known it was you." She said.

"Yeah." I said.

"So you are writing about the shows I am guessing. I am still working for Regina all these years later… so if you the girl who was never getting married is married your husband must be smoking for you to even consider it." She said looking at me wit her hands on her hips. I laughed and pulled out my cell phone. I showed her my wallpaper photo that was my favorite. It was Nick holding James on the day he was born.

"There he is. With our son." I said happily. I was so proud to show my little family off.

"Oh yeah smoking and you have a baby. Girl you are not the same chick I worked with in LA." She said. She seemed so shocked as must people did when they learned I was married.

"Nancy!" called an angry voice. I knew that voice right away. It was my old boss Regina.

"I better go. Hope to see you at other shows." Nancy said with a wave before running off to tend to Regina.

After everything I went back to the hotel. I kicked off my shoes and lied on the bed. I was exhausted. I instantly closed my eyes. My heart was beating fast and there I was standing on the stairwell looking down at Nick's lifeless body. I saw the man come out of the shadows with a familiar grin on his face. I jumped up and screamed. I looked around the dark room. I was in my hotel room alone. I wanted Nick to hold me in that moment. I started to cry. I couldn't help it, but to cry. I was tired of the nightmares. I wanted all the fear to be gone. I picked up my cell phone and dialed Nick.

"Elise baby?" he answered.

"Hey." I said softly.

"Isn't it the middle of the night there?" he asked.

"Yeah I had a nightmare and I just wanted to hear your voice." I crocked out. I was crying again. I missed him with everything and I hated being alone. I felt so vulnerable.

"Shhh. It's ok. You are ok. They will go away eventually. I know." He said. I rocked back and forth on the bed. I was sick of it all. "Everything will be ok. James and I are ok and you will be ok."

"I know it's just….so hard…you know?" I said feeling so defeated.

"I will talk to you until you fall asleep, ok?" he said. I nodded as if he could see me. I knew that he knew. I lied down with the phone to my ear. He just started to talk. He told me about how James did in the morning before he dropped him off with Alice. He told me a funny story about one of his CSIs. He made me feel like he was right there with me. I fell asleep, peacefully.

A/N: Reviews?


	3. Chapter 3

FIRESTORM

Chapter 3

I sat in the café sipping my coffee with Nancy. She finally had a moment away from Regina that we could meet up. The last few days had been great and the nightmares hadn't been so bad. I was happy to finally be living a bit, but I did miss Nick and James so much. As much as I was enjoying this quick coffee meet-up with Nancy I couldn't wait to get back to the room and call Nick before he went to bed.

"So you are a wife, a mom, and you have this magazine gig. I guess you really can have it all." Nancy said as she finished her coffee. I smiled. I felt so lucky. Suddenly her cell phone started to ring. "Damn it's Regina. I am going to have to go. It was great catching up. Maybe we can meet up stateside… Hello…yes Regina… yes on my way." She threw 5 Euros on the table before rushing out. I don't miss my days working for Regina.

I put my own money on the table and strolled out of the café. I walked along the streets of Paris. I loved the air in this place. I loved how all the buildings looked. Theo only thing I was missing was my husband. I hummed a song as I made my way to my hotel. I heard my phone jingle. I looked down to see a text from Yvette: _Charlene is impressed with what you have written this week. She wants to have lunch, her office, 12:30_.

I finally made it to my hotel and up to my room. I sat down on my bed and kicked my shoes off. I lied down and picked up my cell phone. I was already smiling as I dialed his number. I couldn't wait to talk to him. The phone was ringing and there was his voice.

"Stokes." He said.

"Hey it's me." I said happily.

"You." He said.

"I miss you." I said as I lied there with my eyes closed. Hearing his voice made it seem like he was right there with me.

"Miss you too." He said.

"How's James?" I asked.

"He is good. It is obvious he misses his mommy. I stayed home with him today." He said.

"Aww thanks babe." I said cheerfully. He was the best father my son could have.

"I miss his mommy too." He said. "I miss your smile, your lips, your curves, your…" he trailed off. I knew what he meant.

"Mmmm." I responded. "I miss your touch and your kisses." I then laughed. "You would think we've been away from each other for months. It's only been about 4 days."

"4 days too many." He said. I heard him sigh. I knew what he meant. "I can't wait to kiss you and touch you."

"I can't wait either." I said smiling to myself. I let out a breath. I was starting to get turned on by our conversation. We'd never had phone sex before with one another. We were almost always together. There was no need, but if I was going to keep traveling for work then we would be doing this often. I heard him chuckle.

"What are you wearing?" he asked.

"Really? You are going to use that line?" I asked as I started to laugh. "Well I am wearing clothes. My knee length black and white stripped dress with a white cardigan."

"Too many clothes" he said.

"Well you need to take them off." I said seductively.

"I will." He said softly. I smiled to myself, as I lied there alone. "First I'm going to reach up your dress and slip your panties down."

"Mmmm." I responded as I slipped my free hand under my dress and under the elastic of my panties.

"Then I am going to spread you legs." He said. I could feel myself getting warm and damp. "ughhh…." He then said. I was confused. I thought we were having a good time. "James woke up." He said. I could then hear his footsteps and then I heard the cries of my baby boy. "Hey it's ok daddy's here."

"Put me on speaker. I want to talk to him." I said as I heard my baby boy cry. This was the only setback when it came to being parents. There was practically no time for being intimate because the baby could wake at anytime. It was weird because I missed the way our sex life was, but at the same time I loved having my baby boy. I guess I really couldn't have it all the way I wanted, but I could have it all in the way it came to me.

"Ok on speaker." Nick said.

"Hello James." I said happily. Suddenly the baby stopped crying.

"He is looking at the phone confused." Nick said.

"Hi baby. Mommy misses you so much. I will see you soon. Be a good boy for daddy and I will see you in a few days. I love you." I said talking to my baby boy.

"I'm going to give him a bottle and put him back down. I guess we will talk later." Nick said.

"Yeah later. I love you." I said now feeling sad.

"I love you too. Say bye mommy." He said. I smiled thinking of the two of them. I couldn't wait to be home with them. We ended the call. I just lied on the bed starring at the ceiling. I absolutely loved my time here, but being here I realized that in all things my family came first. I never understood my parents until now. It had clicked and I completely understood everything now. Being a wife had changed me, but being a mom changed me so much more.

I was being driven to Charlene's office. I was happy that I got to speak to my husband and son on a daily basis. Things were going great for me and I couldn't believe that I was virtually nightmare free. Julian dropped me at the office and I strolled into the building and took the elevator as I had done before. I exited on the magazine's floor. I walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"Hello. Elise Stokes I have a lunch meeting with Charlene." I said.

"Yes she is in the conference room. I only have you down, but a man was here earlier who said he was joining the lunch. Last minute change I guess." The receptionist said. "You can go straight back to the conference room."

"Thanks." I said with a smile before I made my way up the hall down to where the conference room was. I opened the door to see Charlene head down on the table. I assumed that she must have been very tired from all the shows and parties of the week. "Hello Charlene." There was no answer.

I walked around the table and there I saw the puddle of blood below her. I gasped as I realized the blood was coming from her neck. By the look in her open eyes I knew she was dead. I had never seen a dead body before the moment. I backed away and bumped into the wall. I turned around and saw there was blood spread all over the walls and there were words; words all written in blood. Blood that I assumed belonged to Charlene.

HELLO MY DARLING ELISE. SURPRISE! I AM GOING TO DESTROY YOU ALONG WITH EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE –MARK

I didn't know what to say, think, or do. I felt my stomach feeling funny, very queasy and in an instant I was vomiting. I couldn't hold it in. I was shaking intensely. I then began to scream. The only thing I could do was scream. It was like I was in a tornado of feelings and emotions. Nothing was making sense. People ran into the room. There was lots of yelling and screaming in French. I didn't understand anything. Still when the police arrived I didn't understand a thing. I was so afraid. I didn't know what to do or what to say.

I sat alone in a room at the police station. I had been here for hours. I had lost track of time. All of my belongings had been stripped from me including my clothes. They provided me with pale blue scrubs. I was shaking. Most of the police I spoke to didn't speak very good English and it was so hard to get any information or find out what was happening to me. I was tired and hungry. I was still in too much shock to cry. At once the door finally opened and I saw the one face I wanted to see. Nick was standing there. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. At once he was with me and holding me in his arms. I then started to cry.

"Shhh it's ok." He said as he held me close to him. "I'm here to take you home."

"He found me here." I said crying hysterically. "He found me."

"The police here are checking anyone at the airport and all train stations. They are going to find him." Nick said as he continued to hold me. "Your driver Julian is downstairs. He is taking us to your hotel. Our flight leaves first thing in the morning."

I then had a sudden thought. I looked up at Nick, "Where is James?"

"He is with your dad and Alice." He answered. I nodded.

I lied away in bed. I knew Nick wasn't asleep either. I was still so emotional about what happened and then I was anxious about our flight and returning home. Just as I was starting to get back to myself and feel like me, but that bastard found me here. I felt like some sort of prisoner except there were nor bars or barbed wire holding me back; only thoughts, emotions, and fear. The tears began to escape my eyes. I inhaled trying to make them stop. I felt Nick's arms surround me. I turned to him and cried against his chest. He rubbed my back and just held me in silence. I was so tired of all of this. I just wanted it to be over. I had hoped it was over after our honeymoon, but there we were again. I wish I could go back in time and change the day I agreed to that first date with Mark. None of this would be the same.

A/N: What do you guys think so far... Review! And thanks always to vegas nivel 3 for the continued support and assistance when I get stuck.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: As I write I am sitting on the couch with my husband watching romance movies.

FIRESTORM

Chapter 4

The weeks just passed by. It had been quiet and that didn't make me happy at all. Mark was out there planning his next move. I hated feeling tightly wound. Nick tried his best to keep things light and comfortable for me especially since the magazine decided after the events to let me go. I still wrote for my own personal blog, but I no longer had my column. It really sucked because I loved writing for the magazine, but I understood why they let me go. Nick walked into the house. He gave me a smile as he saw me sitting on the couch. He made his way to me and sat next to me. I smiled up at him.

"You need to pack a bag." He said before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"For what?" I asked perplexed.

"We are going on a trip. You need to get out of the house." He said as he pulled me into his lap.

"Where?" I asked.

"To see my parents. They want to see James and both of us. I bought the tickets today. We fly out tomorrow." He said as he cupped my face with one of his hands. I leaned my head into his hand and smiled at him.

"Sounds nice, but what about…" I started, but he refused to let me finish.

"Shhh. No. We aren't thinking or talking about him. We need to get away and to be a stress free family. Even if it is just for a couple days." He said looking me in the eyes. I knew exactly what he meant and I couldn't agree more. I just nodded before he pulled me in for a kiss.

It was nice to be away. We had just left the airport with our rental car as we drove to Nick's parents place. We hadn't been here since that Thanksgiving when I got to meet his family for the first time. We drove along and I took in the sights. I could hear James babbling in the back seat. I recognized the place as we drove onto the Ranch's property. It was even more beautiful than I remember, but this time it was spring. We pulled up to the house and I could already see my mother-in-law coming out of the front door. Things had been good between us and she had become like a third mom to me on top of my actual mom and Alice. We barely had stopped the car and she was already opening the back door to get James out.

"Oh my little one. Come to grandma." She said happily as she unhooked up from his car seat and picked him up. I got out of the car and watched James get cooed over. He was all smiles.

"I guess we mean nothing now." Nick said as he walked over to my side of the car.

"Absolutely nothing. She has her grandbaby. She is in heaven now." I said as his mother started walking to the house holding James.

"I think you are right." He said as he grabbed me by the hand and we started walking to the house. We walked inside to find his mom sitting down with James in her lap.

"He is such a doll and so much bigger than when I last saw him." His mother said finally looking up at us.

"Well he was only a month old when you last saw him mom." Nick said as he continued to hold my hand and led me over to a chair. He sat down and pulled me into his lap.

"The two of you make beautiful babies. Please make more for me." His mother said happily looking down at James. I laughed out loud. "I'm serious!" she said.

"We'll try mom." Nick said with his hands on my waist. I turned to him and smiled down at him.

"So everything is set." His mom said.

"Set?" I questioned.

"Set for us to get a little time away." He said to me. I looked at him confused. "My mom is going to keep James for a few days while we get some time away…just the two of us."

"What?" I asked. I wasn't comfortable with this at all. I needed to be around my son at all times. I shook my head. I had tears forming in my eyes. I had no words, but this wasn't something that I wanted.

Nick wiped away the few tears that started to escape and held my face. "Shhh. It is going to be fine. James will be fine. This is the safest place for him. My dad as a ton of guns. Believe me he will be fine. I promise you."

"Babe…" I started. I still didn't know what to say, I was so afraid.

"Just give it a little bit to sink in and make your decision in a couple hours. He said to me. I just nodded.

"I'm really tired. I would love a nap." I then said as I stood from his lap.

"I've got you guys setup in the same bedroom as before." His mom said giving me a kind smile.

I made my way up the stairs and into the bedroom. I remembered this place well. I sat on the bed and looked around. On the dresser there was a photo that was obviously Nick when he was a kid. He looked to be around 5 or 6. He was missing his two bottom front teeth and had the biggest smile on his face. I smiled at the picture because I knew at that age James was going to look exactly the same. I lied down and starred at the ceiling. I knew he meant well planning this trip and wanting us to be able to get away together, but it was so hard for me. I let out a sigh. It seems like everything I am starting to live then Mark has to hold me down again. I didn't want to be held down, but he was leaving me no choice. I closed my eyes and tried to remember times when life was good. I remembered the day we got married and the day James was born. Those were the happiest days of my life. I needed to be there again. I wish I could go back in time.

I hadn't realized that I actually fell asleep. I woke up and I was alone in the room still. I looked at the clock and saw I had been asleep for about 2 hours. I stretched and stood from the bed. I made my way downstairs. I could hear voices in the kitchen. I went to make my way into the kitchen when I stopped for a moment. I could hear the conversation clearly.

"Since Paris her nightmares have gotten worse." Nick said. I could hear the pain in his voice.

"I don't blame her. That bastard murdered her boss and left it for her to find." My father-in-law said.

"You know how she feels." My mother-in-law then said.

"I do." Nick then said.

"After you were kidnapped and you came to stay with us for a few weeks I remember you waking up every night from nightmares. I hated hearing you scream from that bedroom." My mother-in-law said.

"Yeah. It was a difficult time." Nick said. I leaned against the wall and listened. He told me a few of these things, but he would never go into too many details. I know he wanted to spare me because I was going through so much, but he was my husband and I wanted him to share his pain with me. That is part of why I am there.

"Does she know about it?" his mother asked.

"Bits and pieces. I don't go into it too much. I don't want to load her with my problems. She is going through enough." He said.

"I think if you let her in then she will be able to relate better. It might help her." His mother said.

"Maybe. I just want to reconnect with her. When we are good she seems better. I hope she agrees to this trip. I think it will be good for both of us." He said. I knew what he meant. When we were good my nightmares weren't so intense. I took a deep breath before I decided to go into the kitchen. I walked in smiling like I hadn't heard anything.

"What did I miss?" I asked as I sat down at the table next to Nick. There was a bassinet in the corner and James as fast asleep.

"Nothing much just lots of James getting attention until he fell asleep." He said as he placed a hand on my knee. I smiled at him. God I loved this man so much.

"I decided that we can go on this mystery trip." I said happily. Nick gave me a smile.

"Alright we leave in the morning." He said before placing a quick kiss on my lips.

He was right the next morning we were off to the airport. We flew down to Houston where we rented another car. We were driving along the coast on the Gulf of Mexico. It was beautiful down here. I was happy that we were together and were going to get a chance to reconnect. We pulled up to a beautiful hotel. Nick had gotten us a few nights stay at this place that had Bungalows along the beach. We walked into our bungalow and it was gorgeous and had a full kitchen.

"This is beautiful." I said as I walked around.

"I thought you would like it." He said as he pulled me to him. I smiled up at him. He made me so happy. I knew I made the right choice with him.

"I love it and you." I said as I smiled at him. He pressed his lips to mine. Next thing I knew I was against the wall with his hand moving under my skirt. I worked at his belt and fought it off along with his pants. I was so happy because for once I knew a crying baby would not interrupt us. We were totally alone. It felt like old times.

My breathing was rapid as he slipped my panties off. I grinned as he kissed down my neckline. I let him remove my shirt. I could feel his hands moving up my back towards the hooks of my bra. His fingers were like feathers barely touching my back as his hands moved up. It tickled a bit and at the same time felt so good. I felt his hands work at my bra. At once I felt freedom, as my bra was unhooked. He slipped it from my arms. Suddenly he was on his knees and kissing my legs. I giggled at the feeling of his lips on my legs. I felt the kissing go higher and higher. I felt the tips of his fingers on my inner thighs. I gasped as they reached their destination. His lips followed his fingers. I let out a moan. This was incredible and I wanted it to last forever, but as soon as I had that thought both his fingers and lips disappeared as he stood and returned his lips to mine. I fought with his shirt. I needed it off. He looked me in my eyes. I bit my lip as I looked at him. We both knew what we wanted.

"Fuck me." I whispered. He then grabbed me by my thighs and lifted me up. My legs were now around him as he suddenly entered me.

"Oh Nick." I groaned. My back was rubbing against the wall as he held me up and moved. I held onto him with my arms around him. Suddenly he made a movement and my head it the wall. "Ouch my head." I said.

"Sorry." He said.

"It's ok." I whispered. His lips were placing kissing on my neck. I continued to hold on tight. My nails were gripping his skin. This was just everything. I could feel all of our emotions intertwining in this moment.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered into my ear. I smiled. He knew exactly what to say to me. He made me feel special and he knew how to do it. He then moved me away from the wall still holding me. Slowly he lowered me onto the ground. He laid on top of me his hands exploring every curve and dimple in my body. I let out a sigh. He slowly spread my legs and he once again was in me. We rolled over and I was on top of him. He looked up at me as I smiled down at him. His hand moved up from my waist to my breasts. His fingertips grazed my nipples.

"Mmm." I said as I started to move my hips slowly. One of his hands continued up and cupped my face. I looked down at him as I moved. I watched as he closed his eyes. I knew he liked it. He let out a groan. I head went back. I was getting so close. I could only think about how many more times we would do this before we had to head back. We would be making up for a lot of lost time.

"Oh God." I said. I was moving faster. His hands firmly on my waist. "Fuck… yes!" I yelled out. I then collapsed onto him.

We lied together on the floor. We had pulled a blanket off the bed and just stayed how we were on the floor. I lied next to him with out legs intertwined. I looked at him and he smiled at me. I was so happy that I agreed to the trip. It was nice to just be us and to be alone.

"You never told me about your nightmares." I then said. He looked at me a little taken aback.

"You heard us?" he asked.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Well I told you about the kidnapping. Truthfully after it was pretty difficult. I was so lucky to be alive, but I was gripped in fear. I was always having flashbacks, but mostly in my sleep. I stayed with my parents for a few weeks and they had to deal with it. I hated being a burden on them. Every now and then I will have a nightmare, but I've managed to control them. I need to be strong for you." He said.

"We need to be strong for each other." I said as I pulled myself on top of him. I looked down at him. "I'm your wife and you are my husband. We are each other's rock. If you ever need to talk about anything. Please talk to me. Please." I begged. I wanted him to know that I was always going to carry his burdens as he carried mine. We agreed to do this for one another when we took our marriage vows.

"Ok." He said reaching his hand up and moving a piece of hair from my face. I bent down and kissed him.

"You are my everything." I said looking him in his eyes. "We will get through this. We have to. I have you in my life to help me through this. This asshole is going down. I have to believe that."

"Believe it. Always." He said as he pulled me back into a kiss.

"Mmm." I said smiling at him. "Again?"

"Again." He said as he grabbed me. I let out a laugh as I found myself under him now. So this is what living felt like. I was happy that I was finally doing that.

A/N: Alright obviously the rating gets to change now after that chapter. I am pleased with it. After the crazy of last chapter this needed to be light and romantic. I think I did that. Please Review and tell me what you think. You guys are obviously reading because I can see all the views. Talk to me!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am writing while studying. I am up for a promotion at work and to help the promotion along I have to get a specific certification. I get to study all weekend and my test will be coming up soon. Chapters might come out a little slower since I am studying.

FIRESTORM

Chapter 5

I rolled off of my husband. I lied there in bed out of breath. We had been here two days and everything was perfect. It was like we were getting a redo on our honeymoon that had went down in ruins just over a year ago. Everything about this trip had been seamless. I turned to him and kissed his arm. I felt his hand move up and down my waist. We didn't say anything as we were both trying to regain our breath. It had been so great to reconnect and get some quality time where we could really talk without our son, family, work, or other stress factors get in the way. It was great to be able to really talk to one another and as a result I hadn't had a single nightmare since we had been here. I could only dream of my happiness, our happiness.

"I'm going to miss this when we go home." I then said as I looked at him. He was looking up at the ceiling.

"Me too." He said.

"I miss James though. I can't wait to see his cute little face." I said as I thought of our son. "I have been thinking about what your mom said…about another baby."

"Yeah…" he said as he turned and looked at me.

"I would like another. Maybe we can try in a few months. I really want a girl next time." I said looking at him.

"Sounds like a plan. You only want one more?" he asked.

"Just one more." I said simply. I knew he wanted at least 5, but I didn't think I could handle that many. For me 2 of them was perfect. I wanted a boy and a girl, but I would be happy with whatever we got.

"Alright then just one." He said. He was clearly pouting.

"I know you want like 5, but imagine with 5 of them. I feel like then our sex life will be non-existent and I know you don't want that." I said looking at him. He pulled me into a deep kiss; his hands roaming my body.

We spent the day at the beach. It was nice to relax to the sound of crashing waves. We hadn't been to the beach at home in so long. We needed to go more often and I fully intended to. Finishing dinner we walked out of the restaurant hand in hand. It was our last night down here and we would be heading back up to Austin tomorrow to spend a few days there before heading home. I loved how cozy our time had been down here. I was glad we had a few more days of vacation left. Nick pulled me to him. I smiled as he pulled me into a kiss. We stood kissing in the restaurant parking lot. I felt so carefree.

"Let's get a drink before heading back." Nick said. I simply nodded. There was a bar across the street. I held his hand as he stared towards the bar. When we walked in I instantly felt uncomfortable. I didn't know what the feeling was, but it was strange and I could feel eyes on us.

No matter the uncomfortable feeling we still ordered some drinks. The music was playing and after I had one drink I was feeling good. Nick had a few beers while we were there. It was starting to get late, but we were having a great time. As parents we rarely got to go out. It was fun to let loose. I recognized the song that came on. I started to dance. I rubbed my body against his. Instantly I knew it was time to go. I wanted him one more time before we left tomorrow.

"Looks like you've got yourselves one of those half-nigger women." A voice said from behind us. I looked to see a white man standing behind us. I had seen him a few times while we were here. He was one of the eyes I felt on his. He wore a jean vest and his arms were covered in tattoos. Truthfully being a So. Cal girl who grew up in a racially mixed family I never felt uncomfortable with what my skin color was. I was black and I was white. My dad was black and my mom was white my step-mom was also white. I felt comfortable with anyone and growing up I had never dealt with any racism. Our community was so accepting. Nick moved me slightly out of the way and stood there face to face with the man.

"What did you say?" Nick said. I could hear the anger in his voice.

"I said you've got a half-nigger woman. Got the best of both worlds I guess. She got that white meat, but a big nigger ass and a wet pussy." The man said. I didn't know what to do. I was taken aback by the vulgarity of it all.

"Babe let's go." I said to Nick placing my hand on his arm. Nick quickly moved his arm away and immediately punches the guy in the face. The guy stumbled back and tripped over a chair. He was on the floor. Nick walked over to him and placed his foot on the guys arm.

"That is my fucking wife you ass-wipe. She is who she is and there are no apologies for that. Motherfucker." He then stamped down on the dudes arm one more time before he came to me and grabbed me by my arm practically dragging me from the bar.

"Babe you are hurting my arm." I cried out. He instantly let go. He kicked at a trashcan and knocked it over. He was visibly upset. I knew this. I was upset also, but I wasn't going to let that asshole ruin our night. "Give me the car keys. You've had too much to drink." I demanded as I walked to him with my hand open. Without warning he shoves me away. I trip and land in the gravel of the bar's unpaved parking lot. I cry out in pain. As I get up I see my leg is cut and I'm bleeding. I look up at him. I had never seen him like this before. He was clearly enraged. I just wanted to leave.

"I'm sorry." He then said as he looked at me. He reaches down to help me up, but I shove his hand away. I pull myself off the ground and start walking towards the car not acknowledging him at all. I could hear him jogging after me. Tears were falling from my eyes. "Babe." He said as he reached me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Just give me the fucking keys." I said holding out my hand. He reached in his pocket and handed me the car keys. I then continue to walk back to the restaurant parking lot towards the car. I unlock the doors and get in the driver's side. He follows and sits in the passenger seat.

Without any words I start the car and pull off. We rode in silence. I knew I wasn't exactly angry with him, but the whole situation had just rubbed me the wrong way. I knew he didn't mean to hurt me, but I hated that he did hurt me in the first place. When we arrived at the hotel I got out of the car and started walking to our bungalow. I just wanted to sleep and not think about this night at all. I just wanted to leave here and hold my son tomorrow. When we got inside I started to take off my clothes. I didn't dare look at him.

"Babe." He started. I turned to him and looked him in the eyes.

"I just want to go to bed." I said.

"I'm sorry. The whole situation had just pissed me off. I'm sorry I pushed you. I didn't mean to hurt you in anyway. You know that?" he said as he held me by my shoulders.

"I know." I said looking at him. "I just don't know how to take it all. It just all escalated so quickly."

"I know." He responded as he rubbed my arms. He pulled me in and kissed me softly. "I'm so sorry for my actions and for that guy. He had no right to say those things."

"It's just weird. I never had to deal with any thing with my race before. I love being biracial. I have always loved everything about myself, my brown skin, my long curly hair…just everything. One thing my mom always taught me was to love myself…always." I explained as he pulled me in and held me.

"I love everything about you too. I don't see color when I look at you. I just see the beautiful woman I fell in love with." He said. I smiled. I knew this.

"Thanks for defending me." I said looking up at him. "It was very sexy."

"I try." He said his hands sliding down me and resting on my butt. I smiled at him. Looks like our night wasn't going to be ruined after all.

As much as I loved feeling like a newlywed couple for the last few days I was so excited to see my little boy. As soon as we walked into Nick's parent's house and James saw us, his face lit up. I grabbed my baby boy up and held him close. He pulled on my hair and I laughed.

"Bababababa." He repeated over and over. I rocked him in my arms.

"There is my baby boy." Nick said as he came over to us. He tickled James on his belly. James went into a fit of little giggles. "I've got my amazing wife back and my little boy. Life is good."

"It's perfect." I said looking up at him. It was absolutely perfect. Out of the blue there was a scream coming from the kitchen. Nick quickly ran towards the kitchen and I followed holding James in my arms. His mother was standing at the counter. Her face was white as a ghost.

"What is it?" Nick asked as he neared the counter. There was a box on the counter. Nick walked over to the box and looked inside. His hand went over his mouth. I knew it couldn't be good. I walked over and looked inside. I recognized it right away. It was a blood-covered knife; the knife that Mark used to stab me that night in the cabin.

"Why?" I asked. I walked away and put James into the bassinet that sat in the corner. I then sat on the chair. I was in total and complete shock. Whenever life was looking up he knew exactly how to bring it back down. He wasn't going to stop. This wasn't going to stop until he or I were dead. I had a sinking feeling that I would be the one to end up dead.

A/N: Sorry it's a short chapter, but I felt like it was a good place to end it. Plus I am getting my studying on as I said earlier…fun!

Also give me some reviews. Do you guys like the story so far? Is the sex too much or too little? Any changes? let me know PLEASE! I am not a big sex writer, but I felt with the previous story I wanted to bring their sex life into the story. I feel like it brings another depth to their romance. I am trying to keep their sex fresh and different each time we got into it. Nobody wants the same exact sex scene every time. Just little insights into my thoughts on that part of the story. Also I have been watching a ton of random CSI episodes. Nick is obviously a sweetheart and very romantic as you can see on the show, but he has a nice temper, I wanted to bring that to the story. Also I wanted everyone to see the couple how I see them and to see you you need more visuals of what Elise looks like. As you can see from my profile pic I am not biracial, but my beautiful daughter is. :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I love writing to music. It gets me in the right emotional place. There is a small soundtrack to this chapter. All songs by Loreen: "Do We Even Matter", "Crying Out Your Name", "My Heart Is Refusing Me", and "Everytime". The lyrics in her songs are so emotional that no matter what her music gets me there.

FIRESTORM

Chapter 6

We returned home right away. There was another trip ruined. I was once again always afraid and the nightmares were at their worse. Half the time Nick would sleep on the couch because I had gotten so violent many nights. I hated everything about it. I felt so isolated, but then once again it was like Mark had disappeared into thin air. Months seem to pass easily without any incident. Life was oddly normal besides my nightmares. I just felt like a caged animal in my own home. Nick tried so hard to be there for me, but I knew it was driving him just as crazy.

I sat in the living room watching James play on the floor. He was getting so big and was crawling everywhere. I loved watching him explore and learn new things daily. The front door opened and I looked up to see Nick coming in from a long day. James looked up from the toy he had been playing with and started to laugh. He was on his knees and crawling towards his dad. Nick closed the door behind him before scooping James up in his arms.

"Hey big boy!" he said as he threw him in the air. James was in a fit of giggles. Sam came running from the other room to Nick and sat at his feet. "Hey Sam!"

"Good day?" I asked from the couch.

"Great day. Hey I need to take Sam for a walk." He said as he places James back on the floor and grabbed Sam's leash from the hook next to the door.

"James and I will come." I then said. "We haven't been out the house today. It would be nice to have a little family time." I needed this. With dealing with everything I felt like we were drifting apart. I hated not feeling connected to him. I hated that we now rarely spent time together.

"Alright." He answered. I walked to the closet and grabbed my shoes and pulled out James' stroller.

We walked mostly in silence except for the sounds of James' constant babbling. I reached my hand out and laced my fingers with Nick's spare hand. He looked at me. I gave him a weak smile. I wanted to be us again. We had been so happy and now here we were a shell of what we used to be only a few months ago. We continued to walk in silence. With every silent footstep my heart was breaking. I knew how we got here. It was incredibly fast. Once we returned home I went into my shell. I had shut him out. I went into a state of unconsciously waiting for my death. For so long Nick had stayed strong for me, for us, that I think he just couldn't do it anymore. He had found his breaking point and we had found ourselves a shadow of who we had been before. At once I stopped walking. He stopped also and looked at me. I wasn't going to continue this façade of looking on the outside as we had been before, but on the inside being hollow and empty. We were void of any real marriage at this point. I needed, we needed, to find out way back. I knew that was going to be difficult, but I was willing to fight for it. I needed to fight for it because without it. I had no longer knew who I was.

"I…" I started not really knowing how to fully form the words that I was thinking. "I can't do this." He just looked at me. He didn't say a word. "I don't want this to be us. James' deserves better. We need to be better."

"I know." He said simply. I finally looked him in his eyes. I could see tears forming in his eyes. I knew he felt the same way. I knew that his heart was also breaking. I could see it in his eyes, but I could also feel it.

"I've been researching therapists in our area. That can deal with my emotional issues as well as our marriage." I said. Suddenly he shook his head looking at me as if I had two heads.

"No therapists." He said at once as if it was law.

"I think it could really help. We need to talk to someone." I said with pleading in my voice. This was the only thing I could think of.

"We have each other for that. We don't need some random stranger to spill our feelings to." He said. I didn't understand why it was such a big deal. I felt like anything we needed to do then he would be down for it, but I guess I was wrong.

"But babe…" I started, but he refused to let me finish.

"But babe nothing. We aren't seeing a therapist. End of story." He then said at once. Suddenly he was walking again. I grabbed onto James' stroller and followed after. I was so confused. He said he wanted to fix things, but he wasn't acting like it. I followed him back to our house.

I went inside with James. It was time to put him to bed. I went upstairs and started out nightly routine with him. Once he was in bed I stepped out of the room and walked downstairs. As much as he said he wanted to fix things it seemed like this evening was going to be like every other since we had returned home. He had retreated to our home office and was on the phone and working. I shook my head. How were we going to start if he wasn't going to try with me? I sat at the kitchen table alone eating dinner. I sat eating with tears flowing down my face. I wanted my old life back so badly. I hated feeling so isolated. I had a partner, but he spent his time avoiding me as much as possible. The fact that he allowed me to join him on his walk was a miracle in itself. It seemed we only ever spoke when it had to do with James. He would come home and play with James and then would go work in our home office.

My mind drifted back to a few months ago when we were away together. I remembered our conversation about trying for another baby. Our plan was to wait a few months. Here we were a few months later and in no place to even have a desire to bring another child into the world. I hated Mark with everything because it was all his fault. He knew what he was doing. Part of ruining my life had to be ruining my marriage also. I knew I couldn't let him win this fight.

I woke up in the morning alone as always. I looked over to Nick's side of the bed. It remained as always, empty. I couldn't remember the last time we actually slept in the same bed. I missed the way he kissed me in the mornings. I missed his hands on my body. I missed his presence simply. I stood and put on my robe and walked downstairs. I could hear James. The sounds of my baby boy made me smile. I walked into the kitchen and there he was in his high chair. Nick was sitting in the chair next to James feeding him.

"Good morning." I said as I walked in his direction. I figured if anyone were going to fix this it would be me. I did as I used to and sat in his lap. I kissed him quickly on the lips. I was going to fake this and I would fake it until it became real again. He looked at me as if I had two heads.

"Umm good morning." He said.

"It's Saturday and the weather is supposed to be good. I was thinking I could make us some sandwiches and we could go to the beach." I said trying to sound as positive as possible.

"I can't." Nick then said.

"Why?" I asked as I turned to him. I demanded to know why. I was trying here and he needed to help it along.

"Work thing." He said simply.

"You can reschedule I'm sure. We are going to the beach as a family." I said clearly.

"Elise." He said as he removed me from his lap. "I have some things to do for work. You and James can enjoy the beach without me." He said before he stood. He then walked out of the kitchen without a word. I sat in his empty chair feeling defeated. He had left his cup of coffee on the table. I picked it up and threw it across the room with a scream. It smashed against the wall. Suddenly James was in tears.

"I'm sorry baby." I said instantly as I picked up my baby boy. I held him close as I began to cry with him. We needed real help. I couldn't possibly fix this on my own.

I needed to be out of my house. I couldn't stand the air anymore. I wasn't going to let him ruin my plans nor my day. I did exactly as I had planned and went to the beach. James and I were joined by Amanda and her daughter Kelli. Kelli played in the water as James sat on the blanket with his favorite toy. I starred out at the horizon. I was at a complete and total loss. There were so many thoughts, but at this point I couldn't make sense of them.

"Do you think he is cheating on you?" Amanda asked. I turned to her and shook my head. To me that was the last thing I could imagine. If he was cheating on me then he was cheating on me with work and distracting himself from what we had going on at home.

"No." I said simply. "He is drowning himself with work to distract himself."

"I'm sorry that things are falling apart. You know you've got me and Kelli if you want to get away from home. I know how it is." Amanda said. I gave her a smile. I appreciated it deeply.

"I made an appointment with the therapist. She makes house calls. Tomorrow James will go to my dad's place and the therapist is coming to see me. I guess I can work on myself and go from there." I explained.

"I hope it works. I hate seeing my best friend brokenhearted." Amanda said. I knew what she meant. I remember when she was going through her divorce. It was so hard to see her suffer through it all. Her ex was an asshole though, the complete opposite of Nick. I knew we could be fixed.

I sat there. There was a woman sitting across from me. I didn't know where to start. There was so much to tell. I had been broken so much that I needed to find the right pieces. I sighed and looked up at her. I needed to speak. I knew this was going to help me fight my demons in order to open up to Nick once again. I had shut him out hard this time and in turn he had also shut me out. I looked down at my wedding ring. I took a deep breath.

"My husband and I have been through a lot and it seems it has come to a head. He is amazing and has been so strong for me and at his point I don't think he can be strong anymore. Part of it is my fault I know. I shut him out. A few years ago I dated this guy. Things were ok, but then they weren't he started stalking me. It stopped for a long time, but when I started seeing my husband it started again. This guy started to torture me. He filmed my husband and I having sex and emailed it to everyone he and I work with. Then he kills my cat before raping me days later. My husband was there for me during all of it. He was amazing even when I shut him out then. One evening my stalker attacked my husband and beat him nearly to death. He could have left me then, but he stayed. We were married and my stalker showed up where we were during our honeymoon. He shot my husband and stabbed me 11 times. He got away. He always seems to get away. From there I started having debilitating nightmares. My husband was my rock. He encouraged me to go on a work trip to Paris. My stalker found me during that trip, but didn't kill me. He killed my boss and left a message for me that he was going to destroy everything I loved. It was quiet after that. We went to visit my husband's family. My husband and I were able to leave our son with his family while we got away to reconnect. It was amazing and we were better than ever. Returning to my in-law's home my stalker sent a package. The knife he stabbed me with. From there I felt like eventually he was going to kill me. I ceased to live and my husband I think could no longer be strong for me. Our marriage is falling apart. We only talk if it has to do with our son. My nightmares have gotten worse, he refuses to share our bed with me." I explained everything and sat there. Saying it all out loud for the very first time broke my heart. I just looked down. I couldn't believe that we had survived all of that until this point.

"That's a lot." The therapist then said. I just nodded. "Is your husband willing to come to these sessions with you?"

"No." I said simply. "He refuses."

"Well we will start with you. What are your nightmares generally?" she asked.

"They change. Normally I am fighting my stalker away. He is trying to kill me. Sometimes they are flashbacks to when he raped me or the night he stabbed me." I explained.

"Sometimes do you get flashbacks of these events when not sleeping? Does something trigger them?" she asked.

"When I worry a lot. Especially lately. When I find myself afraid. I will have small anxiety attacks when I am afraid. They are getting harder to control. I try to hide them as best I can." I said.

"Why do you hide them?" she asked.

"I need to be strong for my son. I don't want him to grow up afraid." I said simply thinking of James. He was getting older and I didn't like the idea of him having to be afraid because I was afraid. "I then also don't want my husband to see. He has been through so much with me. I don't want to pile more on top of that."

"It seems to me and it is very obvious that you are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. Those events were traumatic and rightly you are under a lot of stress from the fear. I am going to work on some breathing exercises with you to help with your attacks and we will work on ways to try and lower or eliminate the nightmares." She explained. She took my hand. "You can survives this. You have survived so much. You can survive this and I think if your husband sees you surviving it will help him survive. He might even come to a session just to see what it is all about."

"Thank you." I said happily. For the first time in a long time I felt hope. There was hope for me; there was hope for us. I just had to believe it.

A/N: This chapter broke my heart. I read the first part aloud to my husband. It made him emotional. I think this chapter was important. They needed to be broken in order to be strong enough to fight Mark. Plus we touch on some of Nick's history in that he doesn't like the idea of seeing a therapist (Season 11).


	7. Chapter 7

FIRESTORM

Chapter 7

Things were changing. At least with me they were. I was feeling happier overall and I seemed to have more control over my anxiety and nightmares. I was seeing my therapist three times a week and I could feel the change in myself. Sadly the situation in my marriage seemed to stay the same, but I was optimistic that they could get better. I got James dressed and went downstairs. We were going out for the day. Nick was sitting on the couch. I was surprised that he was even home. It was a Thursday and normally he would be in the office. I walked passed him humming a song.

"You two are going out?" he asked as he looked up from his paper.

"Yeah it is Thursday we have our Mommy and Me workout near the beach." I said as I pulled James' stroller from the closet. My therapist had suggested that I get exercise and find something that I could do with James. I found this Mommy and Me workout session and we started going. It felt good to be out of the house and in the fresh air and it felt good to get my body moving.

"When did you start doing this?" he asked.

"Few weeks ago. You are normally not home and you never ask." I stated simply.

"I'm glad you guys are getting out." He said.

"My therapist suggested it. It helps a lot plus James gets to be with other babies." I said feeling proud of myself for taking initiative.

"Your therapist?" he questioned.

"Yeah I've been seeing her for a few weeks. It's been helping so much. My anxiety levels have dropped and my nightmares are starting to not come as much. I'm feeling really good. I would love for you to attend a session with me." I said.

"That's great, but I'm not sure." He then said. I sighed. I really hoped he would come with me.

"Then can we just talk? The two of us?" I asked. I was desperate. I knew what he had been doing. He was using work to distract him from working on us. I could understand why. There was a lot of pain and he didn't want to revisit it, neither did I, but it was going to be the only way we could heal the wounds in our marriage.

"Sure." He answered. I couldn't help, but smile. I felt an entire load of stress lift from my shoulders.

"If you are available for lunch. I can take James to Alice and I can pick up some food from McDean's, we haven't eaten there in forever, and we can talk over lunch." I said trying to form a plan. I could only hope he would accept. We needed this so bad.

"Sounds ok." He answered. I wanted to fist pump the air. I was so happy in that moment; happier than I had been in a long time. He gave me a reassuring smile. I knew then he was ready. We were going to tackle this.

During the entire Mommy and Me group I couldn't help, but smile. I wanted the hour to be up so I could rush away. As soon as it ended I was off to my dad's with James. I ordered the food from the car and picked it up. I pulled up to the house. I checked myself out in the car mirror. I felt like I was getting ready for a first date, but I was just going to have lunch at home with my husband. I got out of the car and walked inside. He was still on the couch where I left him this morning. I gave him a smile as I sat the bag of food down on the table.

"I'm going to take a quick shower." I said. "I'm all gross from the workout." He just nodded in response.

I rushed upstairs to our bedroom. My heart was beating fast. I was actually nervous to be having lunch with my husband. This felt so strange, but so good. I went in our bathroom and quickly showered. Getting out I went through my underwear drawer. I found a set that made me feel sexy and confident. I needed that bit of confidence. I pulled out a cute pink sundress from the closet and slipped it on. I pulled my curly hair from its ponytail and let it fall on my shoulders. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked good and I felt good. I made my way downstairs. He was still sitting in the same spot, but he had moved all of his folders and documents out of the way. I went in the kitchen and grabbed some plates and forks. I walked slowly to the couch. I could see his eyes studying me. I sat down.

"Hi." I said looking at him.

"Hi." He said to me. It was like we were meeting one another again.

"So I got some if your favorites. I know you love their Mac and Cheese and the Cajun chicken. I also got some Spring Rolls, Baked Green Beans, and some dessert." I said as I started to pull take-out boxes from the bag. Suddenly he took me by the hand. I just looked at him.

"I'm sorry." He said looking me in the eyes. "I am so sorry for how I've been. I was so angry with you for shutting me out and then I didn't want to face any of it. I then shut you out."

"I know and I'm sorry for shutting you out. I was just so afraid of everything and so afraid of what Mark would do. I am afraid of how all of this will end." I said looking him in his eyes. He placed his hands on my face.

"I won't let him hurt you anymore." He said as he pulled me into his arms. I started to cry, I just cried onto his chest. This was all we needed. This was all I wanted all this time.

"Thank you." I said happily looking up at him with tears still streaming from my eyes.

"Shhh don't cry." He said as he wiped my tears away. "No more tears. I only want to see you smile."

"I'll try my best." I said smiling at him through my tears. "I promise."

"I promise to communicate with you better. I know sometimes I do a bad job of it. And I will come to a session with you. I know it is important with you and my role has always been to support you just like you support me." He said.

"That's all I want." I said looking at him. I was so happy that he was opening up to me. It has been so long since we actually talked like a real married couple. We actually had a conversation that didn't involve James. We were finding ourselves again.

He kissed me fully on the lips. In that moment I couldn't tell up from down. I was taken away to a place I hadn't been in a long time. I was here with my husband, the love of my life. We had fought through this and we were coming out of the other end a little bruised, but survivors.

He pulled me closer as he continued to kiss me; one of his hands firmly on my waist. I allowed him to pull me on top of him. He then slid both hands up my back to the zipper of my dress. He unzipped my dress. I smiled against his lips. We wouldn't be eating lunch just yet. He then slipped his hands under my dress and worked to pull it off of me. I grabbed at his pants and worked to get them off of him. Everything about this felt absolutely right.

I then pulled myself away and stood up. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled at him. He stood and I pulled him along. I practically ran up the stairs into our bedroom. We arrived and I stood there in my underwear. He starred at me. He quickly took off his shirt before walking to me. He reached his arms around me and unhooked my bra. I let it fall to the ground. He laid me on the bed. I looked up at him smiling. He straddled me and kissed me on the lips before leaving a trail of kisses from my neck down to my panty line. I looked down at him. He smiled at me before taking his fingers and slipping them into the elastic of my panties. He slowly slid them down my legs. With each passing second I wanted him more. He kissed down my right leg until my panties were totally off. He then left a trail of kisses up my left leg. He slid his hands between my thighs. I closed my eyes to feel every touch. I could feel a warmth of desire spreading over my body. He spread my legs before he slowly slid up to where we were face to face; his hands coming with him. He entered me slowly. I pressed my lips to his quickly. His fingers laced with mine and he lifted my hands over my head. We were moving together. His lips left mine and I looked up at him.

"Don't stop." I whispered. This was like heaven. I was reconnected once again with the man that I loved with everything. Everything about this moment was exactly how it should be.

He kept going. I couldn't help, but to moan. He knew exactly what I liked and he did it so well. I was getting so close to that spot I knew it. He knew it too. He kissed me slowly and softly. He moved slower. It was like both of her were savoring each delicate movement. I inhaled at I made it there. I closed my eyes tightly. I wanted to feel every little bit as all of my muscles constricted. This was a feeling I hadn't felt in so long. I held him close. He continued to move. I just felt every single movement. Each passing second I craved it and I lived it fully.

"Oh God… Nick!…Oh Yes!" I could help, but shouting out. My toes were curling. I was in another place in another time. I didn't know where I was. I just knew in this moment I felt amazing and my husband was there with me. He fell next to me and kissed my neck. I smiled and turned towards him.

"Don't you ever doubt that I love you." He said to me looking me in my eyes as he cupped my cheek.

"Never." I whispered. "I will never doubt it again." I found myself in his arms. He held onto me tight. We were in our bed together. I missed him being right here in our shared space. This was ours always and I wasn't going to let that change ever again.

And I didn't. It was like we had made a total 180. We were back to being that couple again. I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw the woman, the mother, and the wife that I used to be. It was great to see her and it was great to have my husband right by my side again. Weeks started to pass and Nick actually came to my therapy sessions with me at least once a week. We were getting so much stronger and things remained silent. I knew something could happen one day, but I didn't want to live looking into the future anymore. I wanted to take things day by day.

I sat on our bed putting my hair into a ponytail. I was wearing an old Vegas CSI shirt of Nick's. He walked into the bedroom and he looked terrible. He had caught a cold that James had earlier in the week. I had made him soup and tried my best to keep him comfortable. He had been home from work for the past couple days. He sat on the bed with his box of tissue.

"I am dying." He said. I started to laugh. "I'm serious. I am dying."

"It's just a cold babe." I said as I sat my hairbrush down on my nightstand.

"No, this is not a drill. I'm going to die. This cold is going to take me down. AAAAACHO!" he said and sneezed. I shook my head.

"Men are such babies." I said looking over at him as he sat there moping.

"Hey do you want it?" he asked. I looked at him. Suddenly he was wrestling me onto the bed. I was laughing out loud. He straddled above me and held me down by my wrists. "I will kiss you and give it to you." He said smiling down at me.

"Please no." I cried out with laughter.

"I will do it." He said as he held my wrists to the bed.

"You would never." I said sticking my tongue out at him.

"You're right I wouldn't." he said as he let go of me and got off of me.

"Want me to warm you more soup?" I asked looking over at him.

"Please." He said looking like a lost puppy.

"Alright." I said as I stood from the bed and left the room. I made my way downstairs. I went into the kitchen and pulled a pot of soup out of the fridge. I sat it on the stove and turned the stove on. Suddenly I heard knocking on the front door. I made my way to the door. "Who is it?" I asked.

"San Diego Police!" a voice yelled. I wondered what this was about. I opened the door and there were a ton of police outside most of them SWAT. I didn't know what to think. I was suddenly shoved out of the way as they stormed into the house and made their way up the stairs. I was pulled outside.

"What is going on?" I asked. I could hear shouting from the inside. Suddenly they came downstairs and Nick was in handcuffs. He was being read his rights. "Where are you taking my husband?"

"Ma'am your husband is under arrest." An officer said. I looked at Nick with shock on my face. I couldn't imagine why they would arrest him of all people.

"What are the charges?" I asked.

"Tampering with evidence and conspiracy." He said before grabbing Nick and taking him towards a police car. I just stood there shaking. I didn't know what to do. I could then hear James upstairs crying.

"My son is crying." I said to an officer they had standing at my door. He gave me a nod and I ran into the house and upstairs. I picked up James from his crib. All of the noise must have woken him up.

All I could do was sit on the floor. I was crying with James. I was afraid. I knew Nick wouldn't do anything wrong. I knew there had to be some kind of mistake. My heart hurt. I just sat there not really understanding anything that just happened. I sat there for what felt like forever as James fell asleep. I put him back in his crib. I walked downstairs. It was about 6pm when they took Nick and now it was after 10. I went to get my phone. I needed to call my dad. Something wasn't right with any of this. There then was a knock at my door. I went to the window and looked outside. I could see Kyle at the door. I quickly opened the door.

"Boss man is in some real trouble." He said as he came inside.

"What is going on?" I asked at once.

"They are saying he came in after hours last night and stole some evidence in a case." Kyle explained.

"That's impossible. He was home sick." I said at once.

"That's what I said. His codes were used to get into the evidence vault and there is surveillance video of the garage showing his car coming and going. You can't tell who the man on the video is or isn't. The man is wearing a baseball cap and never looks up. I'm thinking somebody is framing boss man." Kyle said.

"I know who. It has to be Mark George. Who else would want my husband in any trouble?" I said at once.

"We gotta prove it." Kyle said. "They let me talk to him for a few minutes. He told me to just make sure that you and little man are ok. Your street is going to be swarming with media in a matter of hours when this story comes out and I am sure investigators will be here in a matter of hours. You and little man don't want to be here for that. Get some things and I will take you anywhere you want to go."

"Umm ok. Let me get some things." I said. I ran upstairs and into our bedroom. I starting throwing some clothes of mine into a suitcase. I went in James' room and got a few things before I picked him up out of his crib. I went downstairs and Kyle took my suitcase. "Take me to my dad's place."

Kyle simply nodded at my request and we were out of there. I was so afraid. I should have known Mark was going to be back. He tried to destroy my marriage, but we survived and now he was going to destroy my husband. Things were going so well. Everything was absolutely perfect and of course that is when he would strike. I sat in Kyle's car with my eyes closed. I was afraid of what could happen to Nick. I was going to fix this. I had to fix this. I wasn't going to lose my husband. I couldn't not after everything we have been through. There was a point where I was ready to give up, but now I was fired up and ready to fight. If I had to do it myself Mark George was going down. I wasn't going to stand idle anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

FIRESTORM

Chapter 8

I'd been to this place so many times, but this time it was different. This time I wasn't here for a job or here to visit my dad at work, but I was here to see my husband who was being held on some ridiculous and outrageous charges. I could feel eyes on me as I walked through the police department I saw so many faces I knew. They all looked at me with pity. I hated every second of it. I tried to not look into too many faces. I spent the night at my dad's place wide-awake. So many thoughts in my mind; I was afraid of what could happen to Nick. What if it couldn't be proven that it wasn't him? I then saw my dad at the end of the hallway. He was waiting for me. I walked to him and he pulled me into a hug. I wanted to cry, but I held it in. I didn't want anyone here to see me cry.

"Come with me." My dad said as he led me into a room. There was a detective I recognized in the room and there was a window. On the other side of that window was Nick sitting there in an orange jumpsuit across the table from another detective.

"She shouldn't be here." The detective in our room said.

"Really Tillman. You are going to be like that. In there is my daughter's husband. Who helped you get your foot in the door? Who helped you climb the ladder faster? Who always put in a good word for you?" my dad said looking him in his eyes.

"You sir." Detective Tillman said.

"Exactly. Let my daughter say." My dad said at once. Detective Tillman instantly nodded. I looked through the window. I looked at Nick who looked bewildered.

"So you logged into the computer at 11:35pm." The Detective in the room with Nick said.

"I did not." Nick responded.

"But we have your computer being logged into and searching for where specific evidence is located at 11:35pm Tuesday night." The detective said.

"I was not here. I was a home with my wife and son. I've been off work for a few days. I've….I've….AAAACHOOO." Nick said and sneezed. I hated seeing him being treated like a criminal. "I've got a cold. I caught it from my son."

"So you didn't arrive in the department parking garage at 11:27pm in your personal vehicle that we have on camera?" the detective asked.

"I've already told you. I was at home." Nick said. I could hear that he was getting angry.

"There is no need to be defensive. Just tell us the truth." The detective said.

"I'm fucking telling you. I WAS AT HOME!" Nick then slammed his hands on the table.

"Someone is angry." The detective said. Detective Tillman then left my dad alone. I saw him enter the room with Nick and the other detective.

"Let's give him a break." Tillman said. "Plus his wife is here to see him."

"You caught a lucky break. Think about those answers. I'll be back later." The detective said as he stood. He then followed Tillman out of the room. Tillman came back to my dad and I.

"You can see him." Tillman said to me. I followed him from the room down to another door. He opened the door and I walked inside. I was looking right at Nick. He looked terrible. He was still sick and obviously they hadn't allowed him any sleep or medicine. I rushed to him and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey no touching!" came a voice from the corner. There was an officer standing there.

"Seriously Wilson!" I said. I knew this guy. I grew up with him.

"I can't let you and the inmate touch." Wilson said sternly.

"Fuck off Wilson. I've known you forever. Stop acting like this tough guy. You are a teddy bear. Heck I remember when you peed yourself in the 3rd grade. Just fuck off." I growled. I wasn't going to allow this pussy to order me around. I then looked back up to Nick and held him close. His arms wrapped around me. We stood there in silence before he let me go. I sat down in the chair across from his. "How are you feeling?"

"Do you even have to ask?" he asked. I just shook my head. It was very obvious things were not well. "Where is James?"

"With Alice." I answered. I went to open my mouth when the door burst open. It was Tillman again. He threw photos on the table.

"So if you weren't there how did these evidence bags end up in your house with your fingerprints all over them?" Tillman asked. Nick looked at the photos.

"I didn't have these." Nick answered.

"He was home with me." I said at once.

"Don't play dumb with me." Tillman said. Tillman turned to Wilson. "Get his wife out of here." Wilson grabbed me by my arm. I was being pulled from the room.

"Elise call the lab in Vegas and tell Greg and Sara to get here as fast as they can. We can trust them. They need to figure this out. Kyle and Naomi are also on our side!" he yelled as I was being pulled away.

"Ok…Ok!" I said before I was fully pulled out and the door was slammed. I stood in the hall with people around starring. I instantly started to get out of there.

When I got back to my dad's house I made the calls I needed to make. I went upstairs to my old room where James was taking his nap. I picked up my baby boy from the crib that Alice and my Dad had setup. I picked him up and held him close. I lied down in my bed with him in my arms and fell asleep. When I woke up James was gone. I walked downstairs and I could hear him playing with Alice.

"He woke up and you were fast asleep." Alice said. James looked at me and smiled.

"Mama!" he cried out happily.

"Hey baby." I said as I ran my fingers through his soft curly hair. I then looked at Alice. "I need to go home and check on some things."

"Ok James can stay here." She said giving me a kind smile.

"Thank you so much." I said feeling so grateful for my step-mom.

I walked in my front door. My house was a mess. The investigators had torn my place to shreds looking for what they were looking for. I still had no idea how that evidence made it into the house. Nick and I hadn't left the house in the last few days. James was sick and then Nick was sick. I was home taking care of both of them. Nothing seemed to make sense at all. I needed to think, but I was so tired and I wasn't feeling well. I knew it couldn't have been that cold because I had been feeling this way for two weeks at this point.

I spent the next couple hours doing my best to clean the house and on the phone. My in-laws were on the way and they had hired Nick some fancy lawyer. I stood in my kitchen sipping a cup of tea. When the doorbell rang. I went to the door and there was a woman and a man. I recognized both of them from photos and seeing them at our wedding. It was Sara and Greg.

"Hi. Thanks for coming." I said as I let them inside.

"Hi Elise." Greg said.

"Nice to see you again." Sara said to me.

"So my dad was able to email me what he could get from the case files." I said as I walked into the living room with the two of them behind me. "I really don't know what is going on. He wasn't there I can say this for sure."

"We know it isn't like him." Sara said.

"Our links to the lab here are Kyle and Naomi. Nick said they can be trusted. They will be coming over soon." I said. Suddenly my cell phone beeped. It was the timer I had set on it. "Excuse me." I said before running upstairs.

I sat on my bed. I had tears falling from my eyes. Nothing seemed to be right and the timing was all wrong. I heard footsteps and I looked up to see Sara at my bedroom door. She walked into the room and sat next to me. I wiped my tears away and looked at her. She gave me a kind smile.

"We are going to prove him innocent." She said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I can only hope so. I don't know what I would do without him. I can't possibly be that woman, that mom, taking my children to visit their father in prison." I said looking down.

"Children?" she questioned.

"Yeah Children…" I said as he held up the little white stick I had on the bed next to me. "I'm pregnant."

"Umm wow. I would say congrats, but I will save that for when Nick is back home with you." She said. I simply nodded. I heard the doorbell ring. Then Greg's voice.

"Hey Kyle and Naomi are here." He called. Sara and I walked downstairs. There were Naomi and Kyle standing in the entrance way.

"Hi." Kyle said reaching out to shake Sara's hand. "I'm CSI Kyle Ellis and this is CSI Naomi Bockstal."

"Nice to meet both of you." Sara said.

"So we are pretty sure Mark George has a hand in this." Naomi said.

"Yeah. Nick had been keeping us up to date with this guy and his obsession with Elise." Greg said. I stood there awkwardly. I hated that all of this was happening. I felt like it was all my fault.

"From what we read in the files. The evidence was found under your bed." Kyle said.

"Under our bed, but we were asleep there. That means…Oh Good." All I could do was sit down. Mark had been in my home. He had been in my bedroom while we were asleep. He could have been in my son's room. Suddenly I felt sick to my stomach and this time it wasn't morning sickness. "He was in…my house."

"We are going to re-process the house." Sara said.

"And Nick's car." Kyle said. The car was still in the driveway. Nobody had touched it. "Elise, can I have the keys?"

"Yeah umm they are in my purse." I said as I stood. I walked into the kitchen and picked up my purse. I reached inside and pulled out Nick's car keys. I walked back into the living room with the keys in my hand and handed them to Kyle. He instantly jumped up and went outside.

Only a matter of minutes passed with Kyle came inside. I was on the couch with a cup of tea. I didn't know what else to do. Everyone else was working on the house. I looked up at Kyle who stood there. Sara walked into the living room and saw Kyle standing there.

"I found something." Kyle said simply. He walked to me holding a stack of photos. He spread them out over the table. There Nick and I were a few of them were of us having sex then there were others of us during the day, some playing with James others of us coming and going from the house in the last few weeks. Then the last of them it was us fast asleep in bed. There were time and date stamps on all of them. The last few were the night that they believed Nick stole the evidence. They were taken at about 11pm that night.

"He has been watching us." I said looking down at the photos.

"I found some prints in the car too." Kyle said.

I knew it all along. I had felt like I was being watched on so many occasions, but I kept shaking the feeling. I hated that he had been in my home. He had stood over my bed. He watched us care for our son. This was going to have to end. I was having another child and I wanted to bring this child into peace with no stress and no worrying. I was going to have to bring down Mark George even if I did it on my own. I was no longer going to be controlled.


	9. Chapter 9

FIRESTORM

Chapter 9

I was so disgusted that I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to be alone. I lied in bed and I hadn't realized I fell asleep. I woke up still very drowsy. I remember this feeling from being pregnant with James. I was always so tired and I could nap all day and sleep all night with no problem. I sat up in bed. It was dark outside. I looked at the clock and it was after 8pm. I could hear voices downstairs. I hated every moment of this. I had a house full of people, but I felt so alone. I just wanted my husband back home. I was being trapped again like an animal. I hated feeling caged while in my own comfort zone. This wasn't how I pictured my life. I let out a sigh as I lifted myself out of bed. I walked down the stairs. There were new faces. Many of them I knew from the Crime Lab and my Mother-In-Law was here.

"Oh Elise!" my mother-in-law said as she stood and came to me. She pulled me into a hug. "How are you holding up?"

"As best I can…I guess." I answered.

"Where is James?" she asked instantly.

"He is with my step-mom, Alice." I said as I made my way to the couch and sat down. She sat down next to me.

"Well Bill and the lawyer are down at the station. They are hoping they can get him out on bail tonight." She said confidently. I wish I could feel as confident as her in that moment.

"I hope they can." I said.

"What I don't understand is how that creep was able to be in your house? Where was the dog?" she asked me.

"We have been putting Sam in the downstairs spare bedroom at night. He was tearing up James' toys in the middle of the night. I guess Mark noticed that the dog wasn't roaming and he was able to get inside." I explained.

"Mark George does a great job at keeping himself hidden." Naomi said as she joined us on the couch. "We have failed at finding a trail of him at all."

"It seems so." I said.

"I can't believe this man is torturing you and my baby this way." My mother-in-law said and then it hit me. I knew what to do.

"Oh my God!" I said out loud. Everyone in the room seemed to all look at me. I knew exactly what I needed to do and where I needed to go. "I know how we can get to Mark."

"How?" Naomi asked. "We've tried everything."

"Have you tried his mom?" I asked her.

"The police have spoken to her so many times, but nothing." Kyle said.

"There is no way that she doesn't have contact with him. Mark is her baby, her only child. I remember when I was dating him. They had this weird relationship and it freaked me out. He is always going to have his Mommy by his side." I explained.

"So what do we do?" Naomi asked.

"He wants me and I know she knows that. I need to go to her, alone." I said.

"Elise that isn't a good idea." Sara then said.

"It is the only way. I need to see her, but I have to be alone with her in order for her to get him." I said.

"Still not a good idea. You can get hurt. Not the best thing to throw yourself into when pregnant." Sara said.

"Pregnant?" my mother-in-law then asked.

I let out a sigh and turned to her. I gave her a smile and nodded. "Yeah I just found out. Nick doesn't know. I want to tell him when he is home."

"I'm so happy for you." My mother-in-law said as she threw her arms around me. She was now crying. Suddenly it was like a river and tears were also flowing from me. I just cried. It felt so good to just everything go and let it loose. Everyone else left the room and allowed us to have our moment. She then let go of me and looked at me. I was wiping my eyes.

"I feel so broken." I said looking down at the ground. "This man has done everything in his power to ruin me. He nearly ruined my marriage. We had to fight to get back to us. I am not going to let this asshole win. I need to do this. It is the only way."

"Just be careful." My mother-in-law said. Suddenly the front door opened my Father-in-Law walked in, but he was alone. My heart sank to the floor. I knew it would be too good to be true for Nick to be able to come home tonight, but I was holding that hope.

"They said that he might be able to come home tomorrow. They are processing new evidence." He said.

I simply nodded. I stood from the couch and walked away. I needed to be alone again. I went into the bathroom and locked the door. I put the seat to the toilet down and just sat there. I sobbed into my hands. I knew it was foolish to think he was really coming home, but my heart wanted it to be true. My heart wanted him here with me. I was aching inside with every minute he was gone. There was then a knock at the door. I didn't want to open it. I wanted to stay locked away.

"Elise." Sara's voice came. I took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked inside and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the wall and said nothing. We just were there for minutes not saying anything.

"It was stupid for me to think he was coming home." I said at once.

"Not stupid… just hopeful." She said giving me a smile. "You know… I understand your situation completely. I was there. I had someone trying to ruin my life. He tried to frame me for murder. I get this fully. I stand by any plan you have because in the end you know what is best. We are going to support you and do what we can to make sure you are safe."

"Thank you." I said as I stood. I gave her a hug. I needed this and Mark George was going down.

The morning came quickly. I lied in bed starring at the ceiling. I was so afraid, but at the same time I knew that I had enough. I was completely done and I needed to finish this once and for all. I always had Nick to save me, but for once I was going to save both of us. I sat up and walked to the mirror. I looked at myself. I knew I had the courage inside that I needed. I took a shower and dressed. I walked downstairs. My mother-in-law was in the kitchen making breakfast. I gave her a smile as I walked to the fridge and got out a carton of orange juice. I poured myself some juice and sat at the table. She walked to me with a full plate of breakfast.

"Thanks." I said.

"You are eating for two now and you have a big day." She said. I took a deep breath. Today was going to be the day. All of this pain would be over. I was breaking out of my cage of fear.

"I am oddly not as afraid as I thought I would be." I said. I was feeling so confidant. It felt good to feel this way. "I need to save my family."

"You do what you need to." She said as she walked back to the stove. "Bill met with the lawyer. They were going back down to the station."

"I hope he can come home." I said. I missed everything about having him around and I was so excited to tell him about the pregnancy. We had wanted another one and once we felt we were good we started to try. I loved being the mother of his son and I couldn't wait for us to have another.

The time had arrived. Everyone was in position and the plan was set. I drove to Mark's mother's house. Mrs. George had a quaint little house. I remember going there a few times when I dated Mark. I walked to the door. I could hear Naomi speaking to me in my ear giving me instructions. For the most part I ignored her. I just wanted this done. I rang the doorbell. Moments later a woman with black grey streaked hair answered the door.

"Elise. What a surprise?" she said cheerfully. I gave her a smile. "Come in." she said. I followed her inside. I looked around. It was exactly the same as when I first came here years ago. There were pictures of Mark everywhere. The walls seemed to be covered in photos of Mark growing up. I cringed as I passed them. I followed her into the sitting room.

"Hello Mrs. George." I said politely.

"What do I owe the visit?" she asked.

"Obvious it is about Mark." I said looking at her.

"Yes the police have been here more times than I can count." She stated plainly.

"Well I know if anyone can reach him. It's you. I want to have a meeting with him." I said trying to sound as confidant as possible.

"You know I can't reach Mark. I haven't heard from him since he attacked you." She said.

"I know that you can reach him. Please. I know he wants me. He can have me." I announced to her.

"Very well then." She said as she stood. My eyes followed her. She walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. I saw her dialing. I was impatient. I was now scared.

"Elise you've got this." Naomi said in my ear.

"Mark sweetie." I heard his mother say. "Elise is here. She wants to meet you….yes…yes…ok…sure honey…see you." She then hung up the phone and made her way back into the living room. She picked up her purse and a pair of keys. "Let's go." She said instantly.

I stood and followed her. We walked out of the house and towards her car in the drive way. "Don't get in the car with her." Naomi said at once.

I didn't listen. I got in the passenger side and she in the driver's side. At once we were off. I had no idea where we were going, but I sat back and rode. Naomi's voice was going in and out. We were getting too far away from the surveillance van. I was on my own for now. We then arrived at a shipping area. There were warehouses everywhere. I took a deep breath as she pulled in front of a warehouse. She stopped and turned off the car before getting out. I got out as well and followed her. We went inside a warehouse. She closed the door behind us. There wasn't much light, but then I saw him. He stepped out of the shadows and gave me a smile.

"Thank you mommy." He said to his mother. "I'm so sorry." He suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at his mother. He shot her quickly. She fell to the ground. She lied there groaning. He quickly walked to us and shot her point blank in the head. I couldn't imagine what I was seeing. He has just murdered his mother right in front of me with no regard. I was shaking.

"Oh my dear Elise." He aid as she ran his hand over my cheek. I tried my best to not shake. "I've had so much fun with you. Ruining your life has become a game. I've enjoyed this game. Now your poor husband he's in jail. Poor boo-boo." He was laughing. This was all hilarious to him.

"Did you like the pictures I set you? Little James is so cute especially when he is sleeping. Good think you started to lock that dog away. It made my game easier." He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me with him.

"I just want to talk." I said at once to him.

"Talk… the bitch wants to talk." He was then laughing hysterically. I had left my purse in his mom's car. I was thinking at all. I had a gun in my purse. I bit my lip. I was so afraid. He suddenly threw me to the ground. I looked up at him.

"Please Mark. Don't hurt me." I said trying to remain as calm as possible. On the outside I was calm and collected, but on the inside I was deadly afraid. He stood over me. I closed my eyes. I thought of my sweet little James, I thought of Nick. I loved him so much. The only thing that was left was hope. Suddenly there were shots ringing out. I opened my eyes and looked up. I could see Mark running. I turned to see people in the door. One of those people made me smile. Nick was there shooting directly at Mark. I stayed as still as possible. Then I heard a cry and turned back to see that Mark had fallen to the ground. I was frozen where I was. It was really over. It all went to fast. Unexpectedly there were arms around me picking me up. I was pulled to a body. I knew that smell. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"You are one crazy woman." Came Nick's voice.

"I try my best." I said looked up at him. He pulled me in closer and placed his lips on mine. I was so grateful in that moment.

"He's dead." Someone said. I looked to see everyone else standing over Mark's body.

"Is it really all over?" I asked.

"It's all over." Nick said as he helped me up. He held me close as he walked me outside. The sunlight stung my eyes. I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He looked at me and just smiled. I know we both felt it. It was an incredible feeling of peace.

"I can't believe it." I said as he walked me over to an ambulance. "I'm fine."

"Please just get checked out." He said as he rubbed my arm.

We were home. Everyone around us was celebrating. I was with my husband and my son was home with us. Our house was full. I pulled Nick by the arm and led him upstairs. It was quiet in our bedroom. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes. I felt him sit next to me. He ran a finger down my cheek. I sighed and opened my eyes and looked at him.

"I needed a little quiet." I said.

"Me too." He said as he laced his fingers with mine.

"This week was…a disaster and then suddenly it wasn't. I was so afraid of losing you and being alone with James and…" I paused. I realized I still hadn't told him the news. We had been so caught up on celebrating that everything with Mark was over. I turned fully to Nick and grabbed his hand. I placed his hand on my belly. I simply smiled at him. I knew he understood in that moment. He smiled at me.

"You're?" he questioned.

"Yes." I answered. He suddenly pulled me into a strong kiss. When he pulled away he just looked at me.

"I love you." He said looking me in my eyes.

"I love you too." I answered. I laid my head on his chest. I couldn't describe the feelings I was having. Everything was so peaceful. I felt like we could now be who we were meant to be. Our entire marriage up until this point that been plagued by fear. That fear was suddenly gone. It felt unbelievably amazing. I was getting the life I was meant to have and nothing stood in the way of that for the first time in a long time.

A/N: Ugh I don't want to end this story. I like them too much. Deciding on if I want to sequel or not…I want to, but I will need a new storyline.


	10. Chapter 10

FIRESTORM

Chapter 10: Epilogue

I sat in the sun. My eyes were closed. I was incredibly relaxed. Suddenly there was a jolt inside me. I put my hands on my large belly. I smiled to myself. Our baby was enjoying our little day to ourselves also. My rubbed my belly for a second before turning and taking a sip of my virgin piña colada. These last 8 months had been the most peaceful and quiet. Life was absolutely amazing. I looked out into the horizon. The waves the crashed on the beach were beautiful. I closed my eyes and listened once again. This was how life was meant to be for us. I through our marriage so far; so much had happened, but we remained stronger than ever. Nick was my rock and I was so happy that everything seemed to work out. I suddenly heard a little voice. I smiled at the sound of it.

"Mommy!" The little voice said. I opened my eyes again and looked over to see my son running to me. He had gotten so big and was such a handsome little toddler. He lied his little head on my belly.

"Did you have fun with daddy?" I asked. He simply nodded and kept his head to my stomach. He then pointed to my belly.

"Baby!" he said happily. I smiled down and ran my fingers over his hair.

"Have a nice time?" Nick's voice came. I looked up at him. He bent down and gave me a kiss.

"It's been perfect." I said as I watched him sit next to me. He pulled me into his arms and places a hand on my belly. "Jessica has enjoyed my frozen drink." I said feeling our baby girl bounce around inside of me.

"Jess!" James said happily once again pointing at my belly.

"Yes it's Jessica your little sister." Nick said. James smiled up at him. I loved my little family. He then looked at me. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah. I am." I answered. "Let's go home." And our home had been our home for months now.

A/N: Yeah short, but I wanted to end it on a nice note. Working on a sequel. I also wrote the first chapter of my very first 'Once Upon A Time' fic called 'Only Teardrops'. The sequel to this is coming soon… Working title is 'Pyramid'.


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